This invention relates to underjet coke ovens, and more particularly to a support apparatus for carrying battery decking for the coke ovens above a cellar wherein supply ducts are arranged for conducting combustion media to the heating flues of the heating walls for the coke ovens.
More specifically, the present invention provides support means for battery decking which is positioned above an underground room or cellar having a foundation slab that carries the support walls and within the cellar, there extends supply ducts to conduct gaseous combustion media to the heating flues for the heating walls and within the cellar there is also provided control members to regulate the flow of gas in each of the supply ducts by adjustments carried out within the cellar.
In order to adequately support battery decking, which is also referred to in the art as nozzle decking, it is necessary inter alia to allow for expansion of the oven brickwork. The battery decking or nozzle decking is associated with regulating elements which are frequently disposed in gas supply ducts and take the form of nozzles. The support for the battery decking must be designed in such a manner to allow for the fact that the brickwork for the oven battery is subject to elevated temperatures during the heating-up and in the operation of the battery. The oven brickwork itself is subjected to expansions which act in the longitudinal direction of the oven chambers as well as in the longitudinal direction of the battery of coke ovens. Allowances for expansion in the longitudinal direction of the battery of coke ovens are made by the provision of expansion joints in each heating wall of the battery brickwork in vertical planes which extend parallel to the longitudinal axes of the oven chambers. It is also known to provide expansion joints which extend parallel to the oven chambers in the battery decking but usually at greater distances.
Notwithstanding these known constructions, allowance must be made for expansion of the oven decking along the longitudinal direction of the battery of coke ovens by providing strong, longitudinal reinforcement for the decking. The top portion of the battery decking attains a higher temperature than the bottom portion of the decking. This produces or causes the battery decking to expand in the longitudinal direction of the battery of coke ovens. Heretofore, the battery decking was supported by pillars which were arranged in rows parallel to the coke oven chambers. The pillars were connected to the battery decking by means of strong bottom trusses. Since the battery decking expanded to both sides, namely, toward the coke side and toward the pusher side, this meant that substantial forces acted upon the head or top portion of the pillars. These forces, therefore, had to be counteracted by very strong reinforcement for the pillars and the bottom trusses. Such reinforcement required an increased expenditure for material as well as higher wages and costs.